Leave the top on or not...

Tidewater · Mar 19, 2019

I'm having a 1976 Bronco restored and I can't decide on whether to get the top redone or not. I may get it redone and just leave it off. I really just want to ride around with the top off and use a bikini top. How many of you keep the top off year-round?

Eoth · Mar 19, 2019

No top.. No doors... Little AC/DC. It don’t get better!!!

nvrstuk · Mar 19, 2019

No top for 12 years, trail doors 7mo/year.

Now I run a 1/2 cab with trail doors 7mo/year and w/full doors when it's snowing out (usually about 4 mo/year.

Have fun, really depends if you don't mind snow blowing inside and having to scrape the inside of the windshield once in a while...

abn373 · Mar 19, 2019

Lose or sell the top, since it sounds like it is not your daily driver. I think driving with a hardtop is miserable, but I live in the south. Plus you have to store it and risk scratching your restored paint putting it on and off...and they are heavy so you will gain "free performance gains" from the weight reduction.
But hey, just like LUBR vs Cut and Chrome vs Black wheels. No right answer, just personal preference.

sanndmann3 · Mar 19, 2019

No hard top, no doors, no heater and no regrets ;D
Get a soft top if you want some coverage...

abn373 · Mar 19, 2019

sanndmann3 said:
No hard top, no doors, no heater and no regrets ;D
Get a soft top if you want some coverage...

Yep. Any brand of soft top, even the pricey BC ones will probably be cheaper than restoring a hardtop to store in your garage and you may actually use the soft top.

m_m70 · Mar 19, 2019

abn373 said:
Yep. Any brand of soft top, even the pricey BC ones will probably be cheaper than restoring a hardtop to store in your garage and you may actually use the soft top.

this^
Got tired of scratching paint taking it on and off and storing it in the garage.
Went with the BC top and love it!

Nothing Special · Mar 19, 2019

Another vote for a soft top. I kept my hard top for about a year after I took it off, then realized it was never going back on.

I do end up with my soft top up most of the time (my Bronco is a summer daily driver). But it only takes 5-10 minutes to put it down or up, so it's not hard to do when there's any reason to (like, I just wanna!)

Jason72Bronco · Mar 19, 2019

I have a bikini top on mine most of the year, but I have a garage to move inside when the weather gets bad outside. I have the hard top stored.

I would say that if you have the room, have the top painted/restored when you do your rig, and then put it away and keep it. Good hard tops used to be a dime-a-dozen because so many people took them off. Not anymore. A hard top, which fits your truck well like the one you have now, will be harder and harder to find in good (not rusted) condition each passing day. If you ditch it now, one day you may regret it!

BGBronco · Mar 20, 2019

I've had a hardtop and soft top. I really don't like the look of the soft top so I mainly just use bikini top over my family cage and really like the look.

Cortez · Mar 20, 2019

Topless 100% and no regrets. Sold my hard top last year. I live in FLORIDA and it’s a fair weather driver for me. Any morning below 50 is a bit chilly but that’s not often. When I lived in Colorado I needed the top in cooler weather.

wildbill · Mar 20, 2019

;D;D;D My top and doors came off 45 years ago. I will not go back,

Bill ;D%)

No Hay · Mar 20, 2019

Now retired in Tucson, the top will most likely never go back on. It's much more fun to drive topless and doorless.

Tidewater · Mar 20, 2019

Thanks folks! This will be a fair weather driver. I really want to find a white bikini top. Can someone post some links to the companies that make bikini tops?

rguest3 · Mar 20, 2019

I have taken off and gotten rid of most of the hard tops I've ever had.

The Rampage top is very easy to raise and lower as you like. You can unzip the side and rear windows for a large bikini or safari type top.

bobtail · Mar 25, 2019

how do you keep the bikini top from buldging upwards when you drive 30 mph or more?

pipeline010 · Mar 25, 2019

I daily drive. Also take the hard top off in May/June and it stays off until Oct/Nov. So some tips if you go that route:

-make sure you have a good place to store it.

-make sure it stores without stretching. 5 months is a long time on the rack and a misshapen roof will be noisy, windy, and cause issues with doors. make sure whatever rack/place you lay the thing keeps it reasonably firm.

-personal preference, but you really want a soft top. I absolutely love the look of my truck without any type of top, but rain happens. I don't wanna leave my truck at home with a 20% chance of rain. I use the BC Broncos soft top ($$$$) but I usually leave ALL the panels off cause I still like the look. When rain starts I'll put the panels on. If I'm sure I can get 3+ days without a drop of rain I lose the soft hardware completely and roll naked. Takes about 20-25 mins to get it all off.

-when the hardtop goes back on it really has the feel of a "real" truck again rather than just a toy. I really like my hard top and when it goes back on I'm about looking forward to the warmth I can keep in the cab with the hardtop up.

Long story short - keep both hard and soft tops.

Jason72Bronco · Mar 25, 2019

Tidewater said:
Thanks folks! This will be a fair weather driver. I really want to find a white bikini top. Can someone post some links to the companies that make bikini tops?

I installed the bikini top kit from Tom's Bronco Parts about 4 years ago and have been very pleased. Due to the relocation of the wiper motor you don't have the cover anymore with the light, but I think they also sell one that will fit if you choose.

You do have some "ballooning" upward at high speed, but if you keep the straps tight, I don't think its that bad. I also had the reverse happen, when it was caught outside during a deluge...probably 2 gallons of water collected on the top and it ballooned down. I was worried it had stretched too much and actually ordered another top, but after I tightened it up again and it sat in the sun a few times, it regained its shape. I do have to tighten it up annually, but it has held up great. The replacement I ordered is still in the box.

Tidewater · Mar 26, 2019

So do you need the roll cage that covers the driver and passenger to keep the bikini top from sagging?

Lawndart · Mar 26, 2019

Tidewater said:
So do you need the roll cage that covers the driver and passenger to keep the bikini top from sagging?

No. I just have the simple crossbar rear of the front seats. The straps running diagonal to the rear keep tension and minimize sag and flapping. This being said, it takes decent tension to keep the sag/flap away. I immediately had to have the strap mount points properly cross-stitched and strengthened at a local upholstery shop.

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